The world of 3D printing can be a confusing place for newbies and amateurs. With so many printing techniques and types of 3D printing machines, there is bound to be confusion. What is SLA? How is it different from SLS or SLM? Which is better? Which one offers a greater degree of precision? Which is more cost-effective?

Before moving on to different types of 3D printers, it is imperative to understand the basics of 3D printing or Additive Manufacturing as it known in technical terms.

Additive Manufacturing in an umbrella term used to describe different types of technologies used to create 3D objects by the process of layering the raw material used. So when we talk [...]

Chinese 3D Printers manufacturer, Tevo has found its footing in the 3D printing industry with an enviable lineup of affordable desktop 3D printers. The company that operates out of Guangdong Province in China has climbed the popularity charts among the 3D printing community with its range of DIY 3D printer kits that enjoy a widespread following online. So far, Tevo has restricted itself to DIY kits, with a four printer lineup that may seem like a chore assembling but do a fine job in offering good print performance on a budget. In a clear deviation from this tried and tested DIY-kits-only approach, Tevo’s first offering for 2018 [...]

The E3d Nano 3D printer is an offering of the young startup, Shenzhen EasyThreed Technology, set up in 2015 with an objective to “develop the most cost-effective and productive 3D printing technologies, software and consumables worldwide”. The E3D NANO delivers on that promise cent percent, offering users the freedom to use a plug and play 3D printer to bring their creations to life.

This nano 3D printer designed for the masses is ready to print straight out of the box. For all those newbies who find the dynamics of setting up a DIY 3D printer kit and then tweaking it to get the perfect prints daunting, the E3D NANO with its plug [...]

AnyCubic entered the fray with low-cost 3D printers that are in direct competition with offerings from companies like Tronxy and Anet. Its offering, the Kossel, is a Delta construction 3D printer that ships with an auto-leveling print bed capable of printing at a 30-micron resolution. The AnyCubic Kossel is an open source 3D printing device that was originally rolled out in the Pulley version.

A Linear version that works on linear rails instead of wheels placed on the plastic carriage and a Linear Plus variant with a bigger diameter were released subsequently.

The pulley version has been hailed by the online 3D printing community for its high print speed, and [...]

The Tevo Tornado, the latest DIY 3D printer kit to be released by Tevo, is a Cartesian-style 3D printer with a large build volume of 300x300x400 mm. The real draw for this machine has been its near assembled full aluminum frame, dual Tevo Titan Extruder feature, and an auto-leveling bed with BL Touch.

This new offering has been modestly priced at under $400 and is being touted as a viable alternative to Creality CR-10, and that’s saying something about this printer’s potential given the huge fan base that the Creality CR-10 enjoys among the 3D printing community.

The TEVO Tornado arrives in a [...]

The Zonestar Z5F 90 is another affordable Prusa i3 clone in the market, best known for the quality of its frame and components as compared to other DIY 3D printer kits in its price range. The brand value of Zonestar lies in its focus on using better quality parts and components in its DIY kits as compared to other entry-level players in the market, and the Zonestar Z5F is no different on that count.

All in all, it is a 3D printer designed to cater to the basic 3D printing requirements of a major cross-section of users looking for competitive print quality without investing a significant amount of money in a 3D printer. The print quality, [...]